Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basra and Zakho

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $725 in Zakho, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zakho outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
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Zakho Living Index

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Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Basra and in Zakho

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Basra and in Zakho actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in Basra versus $725 in Zakho.

Basra $664
Zakho $725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Basra versus $1,158 in Zakho.

Basra $1,194
Zakho $1,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Basra versus $1,591 in Zakho.

Basra $1,725
Zakho $1,591

Living in Basra costs roughly 8% less than in Zakho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Basra 51% lower, Zakho 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 IQD 5,859

$4.18 IQD 6,310

-7.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

-27.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$7.14 IQD 10.8K

-6.16%

Cappuccino

$2.29 IQD 3,462

$3.21 IQD 4,856

-28.66%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 IQD 568

$0.83 IQD 1,256

-54.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 IQD 458

$0.33 IQD 506

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 IQD 4,951

$5.65 IQD 8,535

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 IQD 5,541

$3.94 IQD 5,960

-6.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,502

$1.10 IQD 1,669

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 920

$0.68 IQD 1,023

-10.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,833

$1.50 IQD 2,271

-19.33%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,417

$1.58 IQD 2,382

1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.32 IQD 9,552

$6.88 IQD 10.4K

-8.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 IQD 8,161

$4.26 IQD 6,440

26.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

$12.69 IQD 19.2K

-4.49%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,265

$0.98 IQD 1,484

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,784

$0.94 IQD 1,414

25.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 IQD 1,285

$1.02 IQD 1,536

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 834

$0.65 IQD 986

-15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 960

$0.61 IQD 920

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 IQD 813

$0.59 IQD 895

-8.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 IQD 1,211

$0.61 IQD 926

31.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 IQD 512

$0.51 IQD 775

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 IQD 2,725

$2.18 IQD 3,300

-17.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 IQD 2,383

$1.46 IQD 2,213

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,755

$1.81 IQD 2,737

0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 789

$0.29 IQD 439

79.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,923

$1.68 IQD 2,546

14.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,948

$1.61 IQD 2,440

21.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,576

$5.65 IQD 8,531

12.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 841

$0.59 IQD 886

-5.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

-30.57%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

$17.1K IQD 25.8M

14.97%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

$115 IQD 173.5K

-61.75%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

$12.27 IQD 18.5K

81.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

$24.28 IQD 36.7K

38.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

$39.56 IQD 59.8K

-19.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 IQD 9,906

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

-32.72%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$109 IQD 165.2K

$298 IQD 450.7K

-63.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

$2,742 IQD 4.1M

18.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

$26.56 IQD 40.1K

64.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

$19.78 IQD 29.9K

-12.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$49.59 IQD 74.9K

38.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

$39.81 IQD 60.1K

-9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 IQD 611.7K

$207 IQD 313.3K

95.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 IQD 208.3K

$136 IQD 205.0K

1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 IQD 558.1K

$370 IQD 558.5K

-0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 IQD 828.2K

$319 IQD 482.7K

71.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$888 IQD 1.3M

57.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$551 IQD 833.0K

28.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 IQD 1.0M

$660 IQD 997.8K

0.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.53

62.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Last update for Zakho: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Basra

$171 25.8%

Zakho

$172 23.8% 0.5% $0.9

Accommodation & Living

Basra

$138 20.8%

Zakho

$136 18.7% 1.6% $2.2

Eating Out

Basra

$105 15.8%

Zakho

$134 18.5% 27.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basra

$100 15%

Zakho

$151 20.9% 51.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Basra

$74 11.2%

Zakho

$61 8.4% 18% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Basra

$45 6.8%

Zakho

$59 8.2% 31.4% $14

Getting Around

Basra

$30 4.6%

Zakho

$11 * 1.5% 63.8% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Basra and $207 in Zakho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Basra vs $37 in Zakho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $172 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Basra

🇮🇶 Zakho

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

Same time as Basra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,150,000

197,163

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basra Zakho 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Basra
Zakho

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basra vs Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $664 in Basra and $725 in Zakho, so Basra is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $995 in Basra and $1,087 in Zakho to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $405 in Basra versus $207 in Zakho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Basra versus $298 in Zakho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $664 per month in Basra versus $725 in Zakho – Basra is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Basra gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.